ast weekend. The artist on exhibition this assignment...Lyle Ashton Harris. The collection aptly titled "Blow Up" spans two decades of his work where the he not only challenges himself in terms of dealing with his own personal struggles by looking inward, but, he also focuses his camera lens outward to dissect the global issues of race, homosexuality and power। There is no
question that Harris is, by far, the most provocative artist this semester. I found his series of photographs to be both shockingly raw and poignantly revealing. The showstopper-eye-grabber-this-will-bring-them-in" installment, is, of course, "Billie". You don't have to be a jazz enthusiast to recognize the image of this music icon (even if it is a man in drag posing as Holiday). I thought this installation was not only beautiful but, a wise choice to place center stage. It got my attention and I found photographs possessed an authentic "vintage" appeal about them. What I didn't like was that after spending time with "Billie" I turned the corner and really didn't know if I should stay to the left or right of the gallery. Eventually, after viewing "The Watering Hole" (a dark and very graphic pictorial that chronicles Jeffery Dahmers ghastly murders of homosexual men) in reverse....I realized that I was walking the back part of the gallery backwards. Perhaps it was because this was my first trip to this gallery but, I felt somewhat disoriented in the space.
After finding my bearings, I continued to view the balance of the exhibit (all the while 
checking to make sure I wasn't going in the wrong direction) and discovered that Harris likes to incorporate ethnic textiles (Ghanaian funerary Clothes) into his work as illustrated in two untitled pieces towards the back of the gallery. This played on my penchant for textiles and I spent lots of time admiring the juxtaposition of the glossy larger than life pieces which these ceremonial fabrics draped.
checking to make sure I wasn't going in the wrong direction) and discovered that Harris likes to incorporate ethnic textiles (Ghanaian funerary Clothes) into his work as illustrated in two untitled pieces towards the back of the gallery. This played on my penchant for textiles and I spent lots of time admiring the juxtaposition of the glossy larger than life pieces which these ceremonial fabrics draped. Combined, both upper and lower decks of the gallery offer a generous amount of space for creative installations if the gallery is showing a single artist. However, if the show calls for multiple artists to share....it's safe to say those who get the upper level will most certainly get the raw end of the deal . This second level of the gallery is much smaller and far too hidden from any real exposure to yield the adequate "face time" needed for an artist of any caliber.
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